Trap



E. SANDS June 116, 1925.

TRAP

Filed Jan, 22, 1924 1N VEA/TOR Em/VES 7' LSA/vas;

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A TTORNE YS Patented June 16, 1925.

rrr; n lerares fGfFFil-CE WERNESTf-SANJDSiOF GHARLESTN, "zOUTt- CAROLINA.

*Titan Application 'Ied January 22,1924. "Serial No. 687,801.

My invention relates .to improvements in traps which areesp'eclially adapted `for `use iirconnection" with `smallA animals, such `as rats, }1nice,. and ftheV like, and4 it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements. hereindescribed and claimed.

' More particularly,"the present invention is an improvement overthe trap disclosedV in my prior application lfor Letters. Patent filed Dec,` 7,1923. l

y In my aforesaid prior applicatiom I disclose a traplhaving a spring-pressed` jaw of novel construction mounted on` a. base, the jaw "beingpro-vided with a" pair of ylaterally extending grip orVhandle portions, whereby the jaw .may be manually sw'ungito' set po sition without causingthehands ofthe oporator to be soiled, thefjaw being adapted to Cobperatewith a-piv'oted combined jawretaining and` trigger member which is mounted on the base and` which may lbe releasably held in-positio1rto cause" the; jaw to be 'set by co-operative *bait-carrying and weighted lever-` members which Valso are n-iounted onthe base.

An `object of the; present invention 1 is` to improve the construction of themeanscomprised'in a trap of the character described for releasably holding the spring-pressed jaw inwsetiposition. m

A further object of the invention is to rsimplify the construction of the means comprised in a trapof the characterldescribed for holding the jaw in "set" position so that but relativelyy fewf parts -will'be coniyprised in thefdevice-and the possibility that thedevice may get out of order in service, therefore, is lessened.

Other objects and-advantages will be apparent from the following description, considered in, conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which-:v

Figure l isav perspective viewof .the improved tra-p, showing the same set for operation,

Figure 21s. a` perspective view showing `the trap with the jaw thereof sprung, and

VFigure. 3 is.y perspective .group view showing the improved combined jawretain- 'ing and trigger member andthe impro-ved bait carrierwhich `are comprised in the trap.

, In carrying out the invention, in the `form now preferred by me, Ifmaske use ofa base l uponwhich is pivotally mounted a jaw 2.

in thecase of the trap which is: disclosed lin'my 'aforesaid `application,the jaw 2 is substantially U-shaped IandV is formed of a 'single length Vof wire, one end po'rtionof Awhich is: Vbent at `right angles to provide a pivot: element 3 which -extends transversely of the base l 4intermediate the `length ofthe `latterand is held against' displacement from Vthebase by-means ofdscrew-eyest l or like of the United" States, Serial No 679,143,

fastening elements, through which thefpivot `element 3, extends. `Thebi'ght"portion of the jaw is offset slightly from the `plane of the side members of thejaw, as indicated at 5, and the wire from which the j'aw2 is "formed is bent in such manner that laterally extending handle portions Gare providedto `mergethe bight portion 5 of the jaw into the side arms `of' the latter, theI handle portion 6 lying in a' plane which is offset from the plane ofthe side arms of the jaw and is Alocated at the opposite side of` the plane of said arms of the jaw from the plane? ofd the bight portion 5.

f Thev jaw 2 is' urged continuously toward the' position shown iniFigure 2 by the usual 4torsion spring 7 which encircles the pivot element 3 and is* arranged withone end thereof re-'act'mg against the base while the other end re-actsI against onesidefarm of.

the jaw member. 4/Vhen the jawA 2 is in sprung position, as illustratedl in Figure 2, the bight portion 5V thereof will be dis- `posedlin contiguous relation to one" end of thebase l and below the` plane of the upper facelof the latter.

`The jaw2` may be releasably held inthe position illustrated in Figure l, in "which Aposition is set for operation by' means' embodying the present inventionand`wh1ch Awill nowbe described.

Such `means `comprises a combined jawretaining and trigger" member, indicated generally zit/8, and l-best'seen 1n Figure 3.

"lheinember 8 `maybe forinedof a strip. of

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tance from its free end with a downwardly and outwardly curved extension 11 for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The portion 9 is provided with a transverse opening 12 through which extends a pivot pin 13. The latter is secured by staples 14C or like fastening devices upon the upper face of the base adjacent to one end of the latter so that the portion 9 will be partially received in a vertical slot 15 in the lastmentioned end of the base and the arm 10 will extend in overlying` relation to the base substantially in the plane ofA the longitudinal median line of the base. A retractile spring 16, which is connected at one end with the portion 9 at the outer and upper corner of the latter and at its other end to the last-mentioned end of the base, tends to swing the member S upwardly and rearwardly. A lateral stop 17 integral with the portion 9 is adapted to engage with the base when the member 9 has been moved in response to the action of the spring 16 from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2 to prevent further upward and rearward swinging movementJ of the member 8.

The member 8 is provided with an upwardly offset finger-like extension 18 which is integral with the portion 9 of the member 8 and extends from itsjuncture with the latter in spaced parallel 'relation to the arm 10, whereby a slot 19 is defined between the finger 18 and the upper edge of the arm 10 for the reception of the bight portion of the jaw 2 when the latter has been swung to set7 position, as illustrated in Figure 1.

It will be manifest that the 2 will be held in seti7 position as illustrated in F igd ure 1 so long asthe bight portion 5 is re ceived Vin the slot 19 and is engaged by the finger 18. This condition will be obtained so long as the arm 1() is disposed in substantially parallel overlying relation to the upper face of the oase 2, as illustrated in Figure 1. The arm 10, therefore, forms what may be considered the trigger portion of the member 8. The extremity thereof is bent downwardly in the plane thereof substantially along the arc of a circle, as indicated at 19, so that the upper edge of the extreme end portion 19 of the arm 10 will be convexly curved in the direction of its length. This extreme end portion of the arm 10 is adapted to enter a vertically elongated aperture 2O in a bait-carrying member 21 which is pivotally secured to the base 1 to swing about an axis parallel to the axis of the pivot element 3. The bait-carrying member 21 is one of a pair of furcations provided by slitting a substantially rectangular strip of light gage metal or like material longitudinally of the strip from one end nearly to the other end thereof. The

second furcation of the strip is indicated ai 22. These furcations are bent to extend substantially in right angular relation to each other and the one slitted end portion 23 of the strip at the juncture of the furcations 21 and 22 is bent upwardly and inwardly to co-operate with the furcations 21 in engaging with a pivot pin 211 which is secured upon the base 1 by staples 25 or like fastening devices in adjacent parallel relation to the pivot element 3. The furcation 21 then will be upstanding from the base and the furcation 22 rests liatwise upon the base and the furcations 21 and 22 will, of course, have rotational movement as a unit about the axis of the pivot pin 24. The :turcation 22 constitutes a weight-carrying arm which has the free end thereof weighted in any suitable manner as by means of the U-shaped weight member 26 which is disposed in straddling relation to the free end portion of the arm 22 and is secured to the latter in any suitable known manner, as at 27. The arm 22 thus will be urged downward by gravity to rest fiatwise upon the base 1. The furcation 21 constitutes the bait-carrying member, as hereinbefore stated and the upper end portion thereof is bent substantially into inverted U-shape and tcrminates at its free end in a vertical plane dd intersecting the base at the side of the pivot element 3 opposite the pivot element 24. 1n other words, the curved upper end portion of the bait-carrying member 21 extends transversely across the pivot clement 3 iu spaced overlying relation. to the spring 7 so that the jaw 2 may be swung inwardly from the position shown in Figure 2 to the posi tion shown in Figure 1 without coming in contact with the baitcarrying member. An upstanding tooth or prong 28 is struc-k from the curved upper end portion of the bait carrying member 21 adjacent to the free end of the latter andas adapted to engage with a suitable bait to hold the latter upon the bait-carrying member.

1F rom the foregoing description of the varions parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The weighted arm 22 is of sutlicient weight to normally hold the bait-carrying member 21 in the position shown in Figures l and 2 irrespective of whether or not a bait, such as indicated at 29, is supported upon theI bait-carrying member, it, of course, being understood that the bait 29 is not of unusual weight. then the jaw 2 is swung rearwardly from the position shown in Figure 2, the bight portion thereof will contact with the upper edge of the trigger arm 19 and will force the latter to swing downwardly about the axis of the pivot element 13 until the curved end portion 19 of the trigger arm has entered the vertically elongated opening 20 of the bait-carrying memllt) ber` Q1 and the' body lot the -trigger-` aci-'1n 1() is engaged at its un'ctufre with the eur-vcd end portion 19-w3ith Lthe A`upper end lwai-ll of *the aperture Q0. `Arti thislltimethe lbightr portion hof'the jaw willbe ipositionedin the slot 194 andwill be held because ot'fitsengagemeiit' withv'the--finger 18 against upwardly swinging movement about the axis of the pivot element 3. The action oi the weighted arm 22 on the bait-carrying member 21 tends to hold the latter in such position that the trigger 10 will be engaged by the upper end wall of the aperture 2O and the jaw 2 thus will be held in the position illustrated in Figure 1, in which position it is set for operation. However, only a slight downward pressure on the curved upper end portion ot' the bait-carrying member 21 is required to cause the latter to disengage the trigger 10, whereupon the latter will be swung upwardly in response to the action oli' the spring 16 and the jaw@ will be released i'or movement to sprung position.

` In the event that the weighted arm 22 should not be swung freely to the position shown in Figures 1 and 2, afterthe trap has been sprung for any cause, as because of 'Friction between the bearing portion 28 and the pivot pin 2t or because ot the weight ot the bait-ed member 21 being greater than that ot the weighted arm 22, such weighted arm will be swung downwardly to theposition shown in Figures 1 and 2 when the trap is set through the agency oi the laterally turned striker member l1 on the trigger arm l() which, on the downward movement ot the trigger arm toward the position shown in Figure 1, will engage with the weighted arm Q2 and push the latter downwardly to such position that the weighted arm 2Q will over-balance the baited member 21. It will thus be i'nani'test that the spring-pressed jaw@ will be securely, although releasably, held in set position until the bait-carrying member 21 is actuated by some external force to move to position to release the 'trigger 10. The spring-pressed jaw 2 then will swing to a csprung position.

Obviously, my invention is susceptible ot embodiment in forms other than that illustrated in the accompanying drawings and I, therefore, consider as my own all modifications and adaptations of the form oit. the device herein described which fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

W hat I claim is z- 1. A trap comprising a base, a springpressed pivoted jaw carried thereby, a pivoted member carried by the base and adapted to engage with said jaw to releasably hold the jaw in set posit-ion, said liaw engaging member having an integral elongated trigger portion, a pivoted bait earrier carried by Said base, said bait carrier Tger when the bait carrier `sition and the Jaw-enga lhaving an aperture .tor-med ltl'iereinvdior' fre- 'gaged with: said jaw, aawe LUed arm `intei 8D grallhwi-th l said bait carrier andlurgcdwby 'ig'ravityto position to hold said ibaitiearrier in engagen'ient with said trigger, and a lateral striker on said trigger adapted to engage said weighted arm just before the free end portion of said trigger enters the aperture in said bait carrier, said striker arm being adapted to torce the weighted arm to position to hold said bait carrier in engagement with said trigger.

2. A trap compri-sing a base, a. springpressed jaw carried thereby, a. pivoted bait iarrier upstanding from said base, said bait carrier having the upper end portion thereot bent tooverlie the pivotal connection oit said jaw with said base and to extend toward one end ot' the base, a weighted arm integral with said bait-carrier, said weighted arm and said bait carrier lying in planes diverging apart substantially at right angles and said weighted arm extending toward the second end of the base, said bait carrier having an opening formed therein intermediate the length thereot, a jaw-engaging member pivotally supported on the base adjacent to the second-named end ot the latter for releasably holding the jaw in set position when in engagement with said jaw, said jaw-engaging member having an elongated trigger portion extending toward said bait carrier and adapted. to enter and engage with the opening in the bait carrier when the latter is in normal position, said trigger portion having the eilt-reine free end portion thereof curved downwardly and provided with a laterally*extending striker arm adai'ited to engage with said weighted arm to torce the latter toward position to hold said bait carrier in engagement with the end portion of said trigger.

3. A trap comprising a base, a springpressed pivoted jaw carried by the base, a bait carrier comprising one ot a pair ot turcations termed by slittinga strip of light gage material longitudinally 'from one end of the strip adjacent to the other end thereot, said turcations lying in planes diverging apart substantially at right angles and the unslitted portion ot said stripV being fashioned to provide a bearing, a pivoted eleinent secured upon said'base in adjacent parallel. relation to the axis ot the pivotaly connection oi? said liaw and being secured to the base, whereby said bait carrier will be opstanding from said base, said second furcation being weighted and urged by gravity to position to rest iiatwise upon said base, the upper portion of said bait carrier being bent laterally in the direction opposite said weighted turcation and being provided at the lower end of said laterally bent portion with an opening, a pivoted lneinber carried by said base and adapted to engage with the bight portion or seid jaw to releasably hold the latter in set position, said jaw-engaging member having an elongated trio'o'er ortion curved downwardl at its extremity, and adapted when in jauv-engag ing position to extend into said opening in the bait carrier and to engage with tlie upper end wall of the latter at the inner end of said downwardly curved end portion of tlie trigger.

ERNEST SANDS. 

